Packer for combined tubing catchers and anchors



Patented Jan. l5, 1929.

PATENT orner..

RD v. CBOWELL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

j IPAGXEBKFOB COMBINED TUBING CATCHERS AND ANCHORS.

Application tiled July 19,

It is theobject of this invention to provide a packer for a combined tubing catcher and anchor, adapted to pack ott the tubing and thus eliminate fire hazard whenever the catcher or anchor is operated.

It is a further object of the invention to employ the packer as a cushioning medium for absorbing vshock when the tubing is caught, and to arrange the packer so as to gradually check the fall of the tubing and thus providel an extremely flicient cushioning means.

It is a still further object of the invention to employ the packer with a combined tubing anchor and catcherwhich is adapted forA manual operation at any desiredy level in a well, and which is automatically maintained in position preventing accidental functioning of the anchor during lowering of the tubing but insuring automatic operation of the catcher in the event of the tubing breaking at any time during its withdrawal.

Further objects of the invention will be readily understood from the following de scription of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a well bore showing the invention in inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the invention in operative position.

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The invention is illustrated applied to a string of tubing Z3, and is adapted to catch or anchor the tubing in the well casing 1 and pack loft the space between the tubing and casing. i

Thelpacking is mounted on a'pipe 4 forming a portion of the string of tubing and connected thereto by coupling collars 5; anda sleeve 7 is slidably mounted on pipe 4 in spaced relation below the upper collar 5, with the proximate ends of theupper coupling collar and the sleeve forming cooperatr ing annular abutment surfaces 6 projecting beyond the pipe 4 and preferably having .outer peripheral flanges 8 extending toward one another. y

A packing sleeve 11, preferably of rubber, is mounted on pipe 4 between abutment surfaces 6, and when in normal axially expanded 1926. Serial No. 123,389.

position as shown in Fig. 1, the packing sleeve y is spaced from the well casing 1 andfdepresses the sleeve 7 so that the lowei end of the latter abuts against Aa shoulder 12 on the pipe 4. The ends of the packing sleeve are preferably provided with projecting annular tongues 10 received within the peripheral fianges 8 so that the ends of the packer and the abutment surfaces 6 are held in cooperating relation.

A combined anchor and catcher is adapted4 to fix the sleeve 7 against axial displacement in casing 1, so that lowering or dropping of the string of tubing relative to the fixed sleeve will compress Vthe packing 11 between its abutment surfaces 6 and thereby cushion and finally stop the tubing and at the same time radially expand the packing for engagement with the casing wall as shown in Fig. 2.

As an instance of this arrangement a slip support- 13 is slidabl mounted on pipe 4 below sleeve 7 and pre erably comprises sleeves 13aL and 13b havinor axially extending cooperating tongues and recesses 14 at their adjacent ends, so as to permit relative axial movement of the sleeves and dependent rotation thereof relative to pipe 4.

Spring arms 14a extend upwardly from lower sleeve 13a through guide loops 15 on sleeve 13b, and slips 16 carried by the arms are adapted to be expanded by sleeve 7 so as to engage the wall of casing 1 and thereby lock the sleeve against axial movement. For this purpose the lower end of sleeve 7 tapers downwardly to form a wedge 17 which slides down in back of the slips for expanding the same when pipe 4 and sleeve 7 are lowered relative to the slip support 13. As the string of tubingis lowered inthe well it is held against such axial movement relative to the slip support in order to prevent locking engagement of the slips, but when the string of tubing is at the desired level it is released from the slip support which is frictionally held in casing 1, so that further lowering of the tubing will shift the wedge 17 relative to the slips in order to engage the same in the casing and thereby lock sleeve 7 against axial movement. The means for releasably holding pipe 4 relative to the slip support is shown as comprising gudgeons 18 on the pipe adapted to be received in slots 2O extending circumferentially of sleeve 13a with one end of the slots opening downwardlythrough the lower end of the sleeve as shown at 21.

As the string of tubing is being lowered into the well, pipe 4 is turned relative to the y slip support so t-hat the gudgeons 18 are locked in slots 2O as shown in F ig. 1, thereby preventing relative axial movement between the pipe and the slip support; and when the tubing is in place the pipe 4 is turned until the gu-dgeons are in axial alinement with slots 21, to permit lowering of the string of tubing relative to the slip support as shown in Fig. 2. 5

The means for rictionally holding the slip support in casing 1 during such turning and lowering of the pipe 4 relative thereto, comprises outwardly bowed springs 22 permanently fixed at their respective ends to the sleeves 13a and 13b and frictionally engaging the wall of casing 1. The relative axial play between sleeves 13a and 13b permits movement of the springs for free adjustment to rictionally engage the wall of the casing.

When Iitis desired to anchor the tubing, it is turned until the gudgeons 18 are in alinement with slots 21, the slip support being held against turning by its spring 22, and the y tubingis then lowered with respect to the slip support held by the springs until the wedge 17 has been moved downin back of the slips 16 so as to expand the latter into biting engagement with the casing Wall.,

It is thus obvious that through` manual control of the tubing the anchoring means may be rendered operative at any desired' level in a well, and that operation of the anchoring means fixes sleeve 7 against axial displacement so that further lowering of the string of tubing will axially compress packing sleeve 11 and thereby radially expand f the packing for binding engagement on pipe dri 4 and tight rictional engagement 4with'the casing wall. T

When the string of tubing is subsequently elevated for withdrawal from the well, pipe 4 rst slides upwardly through the xed sleeve 7 to relieve the axial compression of packing 11 and permit its return to normal.

position spaced from the casing wall, and the pipe 4 then elevates the sleeve 7 by abutment of the shoulder 12. The wedging engagement of slips 16 is thus released so that elevation of the string of tubing may be continued, the slip support 13 being carried upwardly with the string of tubing by the abutment of gudgeons 18 against the upper walls of slots 20.

Duringv withdrawal of the string of tubing the pipe 4 is not turned for moving gudgeons 18 back in slots 20, the gudgeons` remaining in alinement with the open ends 21 of the slots so that it the string of tubing breaks,

the slip support will be rictionally held in the casing by springs 22 while pipe 4 drops freely through the slip support to expand the slips by `the wedge 17 and thereby lock the sleeve 7 in the well casing.

Continued dropping of the string of tubing will then compress packing 11 between its abutment surfaces 6 so as to lock the string of tubing against further dropping when the packing is compressed to its limit; and the compression ot the packing will thus cushion the fall of the tubing and gradually absorb the shock when it is caught in the casing, both by the inherent resiliency et the packing sleeve, and its gradually increasing rictional engagement with the casingr wall and binding on the pipe 4 as it is radially expanded.

rl`he springs 22 are preferably spirally mounted on slip support 13 so that as the string oit tubing is lowered inthe well the Jfrictional engagement' of the springs against the wallfof the casing will tend to turn the slip support so as to maintain gudgeons 18 in the rear ends of slots 20; and in similar manner the frictional engagement of the springs during withdrawal of the string of tubing will tend toiturn the slip support so as to maintain gudgeons 18 in alinement with the open ends 21 of the slots.

The locking engagement between the string of tubing and the slip support is thus assured during lowering of the string; and whenthe tubing is withdrawn the parts are held in position for automatically locking the string in the well casing by the expansion of the slips, in the event of breaking of the string of tubing.

The packing cooperating with the combined anchor and catcher provides for automatically packing 0H the space surrounding the, tubing when the latter is held qby either the manually controlled anchor or the automatic catcher, thereby positively preventing escape of gas and eliminating re hazard; and

the packing also forms extremely eicient means for gradually cushioning and absorbing the shock of the tubing as it is caught and held in tlie casing in the event of its breaking.

I claim:

1. `Well tubing adapted for reception in a bore, anchoring means for the tubing rotatable in reverse directions to shift the anchoring means to position for operation or lock the anchoring means in inoperative position, spiral springs on the anchoring means engaging the wall of the bore for respectively rotating the anchoring means in said reverse directions during elevation and 'lowering of the anchoring means with the tubing, and means actuated by operation of the anchoring means for packing off the space between the tubing and the wall of the bore.

llfl

2. `Well tubing adapted for reception in a a able in reverse directions to shift the anchorlng means to posltlon for operation or lock the anchoring means in inoperative position,

automatic operating means engaging the wall of the bore for respectively rotatin the anchoring means in said reverse irections during elevation and lowering of the anchoring means with the tubing, and means actuated by operation of the anchoring means for packing off the space between the tubing and 10 the Wall of the bore.

In testimony whereof he has aiiixed his4 signature Ito this specification.

ERD V. CROWELL 

